N00124:33
Woe to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkennessWo to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkenness
Woe to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkenness: wherein the woefulness of that evil, and the mystery of all that are addicted to it, is discovered from the word of God. / Preached by Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]Wo to drunkards. Two sermons testifying against the sin of drunkenness: wherein the wofulness of that evil, and the mistery of all that are addicted to it, is discovered from the word of God. / Preached by Increase Mather, teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Marmaduke Johnson. 1673., 1673
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. Drunkenness is a wasteful, destructive Evil, which is another thing which showeth the Woefulness of it. A Drunkard is a mere stroy good: wherefore the Apostle faith that is Wine there is excess, Eph. 5. 18. The Greek word ([Greek or Hebrew]) which is there used, signifieth Wastefulness and Prodigality: It is the same word which is used concerning the Pro••gil, when 'tis said that he wanted his substance with riotous living, Luke 15. 13. There is much Prodigality, Riot, Profuseness in this sin: for thereby the good Creatures of God are wasted, ⟨p. 7⟩which is contrary to the express charge of the Lord Jesus, who hath said, Let nothing be lost, Joh. 6.12. but all that is spent in drunkenness is woefully lost; And this consideration proveth that a Drunkard is a woeful guilty creature before the Lord, for so are they that take his Name in vain. It is said in the third Commandment, that God will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain, which doth intimate that such sinners are exceeding guilty before the Lord. Now to abuse any of his Creatures, is to take his Name in vain: in this respect Drunkenness is a breath of the third Commandment. It is also a great master of precious Time; men have no need to be prodigal of their Time, they have not so much of it: For what is your life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away, Jam. 4. 14. Nay, it is but a moment comparatively that any one hath to be in this world; In a moment they go down into the grave: and it is a thousand pities that any part of that moment should be lost, yet all is lost that is spent in rioting and drunkenness; for that Time is lost, which a man cannot give a comfortable account concerning the spending of it unto Jesus Christ at the last day. Most certain it is, that all men shall be called to an account in that solemn great day which is at hand, as for all Talents which they have been entrusted with, so in special for that great and precious Talent of Time: But what answer can be given for the Time that hath been consumed in lewd and drunken practices? When it shall be said to you in the hearing of Heaven and Earth, You had such a space of Time allowed to you in the world, you lived so many years upon earth, but how did you spend that Time?